Grand Priest Darius didn't respond right away to my request. He studied for several monts. During that ti, another cool breeze blew through, carrying the scent of green growing things. Nearby trees swayed in the wind, their leaves rustling.
"Is this a joke?" Grand Priest Darius asked.
I shook my head.
"Brat!" Grand Priest Darius walked over and rapped his knuckles over my head again. "What is the matter with you? Lord Tempest is a god! Do you think talking with him is the sa as popping over for a casual visit?"
I touched the place where he hit and winced.
"No," I said. "Which was why I hesitated to ask this of you. However, it's important."
Grand Priest Darius sighed and shook his head.
"What could be so important that you need to speak with Lord Tempest?" He held up a finger. "Be warned. If it is for sothing trivial, I will hit you a third ti."
At that mont, I realized that having this conversation out in the open wasn't a good idea. I should've waited until we were sowhere private.
"Is there a way you can ensure we won't be overheard first?" I asked.
Grand Priest Darius rolled his eyes, before he muttered a short prayer to Tempest. A barrier made of Holy magic appeared around us.
"There," he said. "Now ask."
I took a mont to gather my thoughts.
"I need to ask Lord Tempest about my fate," I asked.
Grand Priest Darius narrowed his eyes at .
"That's it?"
He reached over to hit again. I stepped back and held my hands up in a pleading gesture.
"I'm being serious!" I said.
Grand Priest Darius kept coming towards, chasing around the barrier.
"I know, which is why I'm annoyed with you!" he said. "Discovering your fate is part of your journey through life. It helps you grow and mature as both a person and a soul. By asking a god about it and taking a shortcut, you're only harming yourself!"
"I think there's sothing weird about my fate!" I said. "Ask Anna!"
Grand Priest Darius stopped chasing and looked at her.
"Gabriel's right," Anna said. "There is sothing strange about his fate."
Together, the two of us told him about the strange coincidences that had happened to ever since I returned to Lumina.
"I'm worried that a higher being is manipulating behind the scenes," I said. "That in itself isn't a problem. However, what if they're soone with malicious intentions towards my loved ones? I need to know, and the fastest way to find out is to consult a god."
Grand Priest Darius closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Gabriel," he said without opening his eyes. "Did it ever occur to you that this was just your fate? That there's no higher being involved?"
"It did, but it didn't seem right." I gestured to myself. "I'm not a regressor. I know I kept silent earlier, but I wasn't involved in the events of the First Tiline. I was on Earth. I returned to Lumina because I almost died and my soul ended up in this body again. So why did I end up getting involved with most of the regressors? And it's not just them."
There was Harvey, who had been the Spider in the First Tiline, and Kiki, a spirit who almost beca a god.
"How did the regression change my fate, if at all?" I continued. "If that's not enough to convince you, then consider this. Learning about my fate may give us clues on how to save our world."
Grand Priest Darius frowned as I fell silent. It was clear that he was on the fence about the matter. A part of wanted to continue pushing. However, another part feared that if I pushed him too hard, he would say no. In the end, I remained silent.
"You make a good point, Gabriel," Grand Priest Darius said after a while. "You are not a regressor, and yet you are inextricably linked to them. Either it's your fate to help save the world, or there is sothing else going on." He sighed. "Even so, consulting a god is no simple matter."
I nodded.
"Yes, I know," I said. "Every ti you do, you need to pay a price."
Grand Priest Darius made a so-so gesture.
"Not necessarily," he said. "Lord Tempest may pay the price himself, if he deems the matter important enough. However, in general, you are correct."
"So, is that a yes?"
Grand Priest Darius gave a sour look.
"I'll consider it," he said. "Don't push your luck."
I nodded several tis, like a chicken picking at the ground.
"Yes, Grand Priest Darius," I said, fawning over him. "You are wise and majestic. Thank you for listening to this lowly one's words."
Grand Priest Darius rolled his eyes at .
"Co on." He made a gesture and dismantled the barrier. "Your friends are waiting."
With that, the three of us continued on our way.
Templeton was a simple town. The buildings were made of wood, for the most part, with black-tiled roofs. The streets were made of smooth stone blocks. Glowstone street lamps lit up the town, bathing it in light. However, what set it apart from other towns and cities in Lumina were its decorations.
Due to its proximity to Mt. Sol and the Grand Temple of the Sun, religious imagery and iconography were more common here than in other places. Images and symbols depicting the gods were everywhere. Murals, colored windows, statues, etc. Sol and Luna were the most commonly depicted gods, but the others had their fair share of representation.
Despite the late hour, Templeton was a lively place. As the three of us walked towards Grand Priest Darius' private residence, I looked around. The town was filled with people from all walks of life. So were House or Clan scions, draped in luxury and riding in carriages. Others ca from more humble backgrounds.
Regardless, they all ca to Templeton for the sa purpose: to pay homage to the gods. So did it for show, while others did it out of faith and devotion.
The specific details depended on the god in question. So gods preferred prayer, ditation, and silent contemplation. Others were more festive. Brand, the God of Fire, wanted his worshipers to hold feasts and banquets in his na. For them, eating, drinking, and making rry were forms of worship.
Of course, when a large number of people gathered together, there was bound to be conflict. Adding in religion just made things worse. Most of the ti, it wasn't that bad, limited to argunts and debates.
That said, it wasn't uncommon for fights to break out between the worshipers of different gods. Sotis, they even shed blood. However, deaths were rare. People ca to Templeton to worship the gods, not murder each other.
Even as our little trio walked by, I noticed an argunt between a priest of Brand and a priest of Aqua. A small crowd had gathered around them. At first I thought the two priests were having so kind of theological debate. However, I soon realized that they were just hurling insults at one another.
Unsurprising, given who they served. Due to their opposing natures, Brand and Aqua almost never got along. Nothing happened to create this conflict. They just didn't like one another, and this attitude extended to their worshipers. I shook my head, before moving on.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not ant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Grand Priest Darius led us to a walled-off manor located near the center of Templeton. It stood at two-stories tall, with a main building and an annex situated off to the side. Two statues of storm dragons flanked the front gate.
Unlike in other places, the manor wasn't protected by enchantnts and runic circles. Instead, it was protected by Holy magic and blessings. The manor was also protected by a team of paladins. A pair of them guarded the front gate, while others patrolled around the area.
The three of us stopped at the front gate. The paladins guarding it saluted to Grand Priest Darius.
"How are my guests?" he asked.
"They're training with Paladin Charles in the rear yard, Your Eminence," one of the paladins replied.
Paladin Charles was here? Well, that made sense now that I thought about it. When I asked Grand Priest Darius for help in protecting Icefall City, he sent Paladin Charles my way.
"Good," Grand Priest Darius said. "Open the gate for us. Lord Gabriel here is eager to reunite with his friends."
The paladins glanced at , their eyes widening, before they nodded. The two of them opened the front gate for us. We passed through, before following a stone pathway towards the rear yard. Along the way, we passed by junior priests and priestesses of Tempest, who worked as servants for Grand Priest Darius.
When we arrived at the rear yard, I saw that it was a training yard, a well-equipped one too. It was on par with the one we had at the Northern Annex of Sturm Manor. The training yard also included marked-off areas for sparring.
At the mont, there were three people in one of the sparring areas. Paladin Charles was facing off against Leroy and Cally. While the forr was more powerful, the latter two were holding their own against him. In fact, it looked like Leroy and Cally were suppressing Paladin Charles. While they couldn't defeat him, they managed to keep him in check.
I didn't know if this was more a testant to Leroy and Cally's skills, or Paladin Charles'. The forr two faced off against more powerful enemies on a regular basis. Despite this, they hadn't defeated Paladin Charles. At most, they made it a stalemate.
Lord Dominic sat off to the side, observing the sparring session, while Kiki stood behind him. I looked closer and saw that she was massaging his shoulders. However, Lord Dominic was too focused on the sparring session to notice.
Paladin Charles noticed our arrival first and called a halt to the sparring session.
"Let's take a break here," he said.
"Why?" Leroy asked. "I can keep going."
Cally snorted.
"Maybe Paladin Charles here is the one who needs a break," Cally said, a smirk in her voice.
Paladin Charles raised an eyebrow at her.
"I an, I thought you might want to reunite with Lord Gabriel," he said, gesturing in my direction. "However, if you want to keep going, I'm more than willing to."
Leroy and Cally looked towards , their eyes widening in shock. I gave them a warm smile. Neither one reacted right away. A mont later, they both ran towards . Despite her smaller stature, Cally reached first. She barreled into , wrapping her arms around and burying her face in my chest. Leroy followed suit right after, pulling us both into a bone-crushing hug.
"I missed you too," I managed to eke out.
From the corner of my eyes, I noticed Lord Dominic and Kiki walking towards us.
"Okay, that's enough, Leroy," Anna said, amused. "Gabriel looks like he can't breathe, and I think you're suffocating Cally."
With great reluctance, Leroy let go and took a step back. Cally, however, kept her arms around .
"You must've been really worried, given your reaction," I said in a joking tone.
"Shut up," Cally said, her voice muffled.
I smiled and returned her embrace.
"Welco back, Lord Gabriel," Kiki said. "I'm glad to see that you managed to return ho."
Lord Dominic, who stood beside her, nodded.
" too," he said in a quiet voice.
Paladin Charles approached Grand Priest Darius and saluted him.
"My lord," Leroy said, his expression a mixture of guilt and relief. "Are you alright? Did anything happen? Are you suffering from any injuries?"
I shook my head at him.
"I'm fine now," I said, nodding towards Grand Priest Darius. "Ash left a surprise for , but Grand Priest Darius and the Grand Inquisitor helped deal with it."
Cally pulled her head back. Tears streaked down from her red-rimd eyes.
"A surprise?" she asked, a little congested. "What kind of surprise?"
I snorted and wiped her eyes with my sleeve.
"Let's go inside first," I said, before looking at Grand Priest Darius. "May we?"
He nodded.
"Go right ahead," he said. "I have sothing to discuss with Paladin Charles."
With that, my companions and I headed inside the manor. They led to a small drawing room located on the second floor. Leroy and Cally held on to the entire ti. I found it a little amusing. They weren't normally this… Needy. The past few months must've been harder on them than I realized.
Not that I minded. I was always starved for physical affection.
Anna, also amused, just rolled her eyes at us.
After we arrived at the drawing room, we all sat in a circle around a low wooden table. Leroy and Cally sat next to , while Lord Dominic and Kiki sat across from . Anna, less amused now, sat right in my lap.
"What are you doing?" I asked, one eyebrow raised.
Anna made herself comfortable before settling down.
"Protecting my claim," she said in a matter of fact tone.
Cally and I rolled our eyes at this. Despite this, Anna's words ward my heart.
In the midst of all this, a junior priest brought us warm drinks. To my delight, this included mulled wine. I grabbed a cup, moving around Anna, and took a sip. The taste of spices washed over my tongue and warmth filled my belly.
Good wine and a beautiful woman in my arms. Ah, this was the life.
"What happened to you?" Cally demanded as soon as the junior priest left. "Where did your soul go?"
The others leaned forward, eager to hear my story, except for Anna. She had already heard it twice by this point.
"Well, it's going to sound a little crazy, so bear with ," I said, before I proceeded to tell them about what happened to .
Unlike with Grand Priest Darius and the Grand Inquisitor, I didn't hold back as much. However, I still refrained from ntioning the Lumina runic circle. While I trusted my companions, this felt like sothing far larger than we were capable of dealing with. Until I understood it myself, I decided to keep it a secret.
"You achieved Union of Flesh and Spirit?!" Kiki called out when I finished. "That's not fair! Why you?! Why not ?!"
The rest of us stared at her.
"'Union of Flesh and Spirit?'" I asked. "Is that what happened to Aurora and I?"
Kiki crossed her arms and nodded. While her stone face couldn't make expressions, I got the sense that she was pouting.
"It's a rare phenonon," she said. "It happens only when a human and a spirit have perfect affinity with one another. Think soul-mates, but not in a romantic sense."
Perfect. I knew Kiki was the right person to ask about this sort of thing.
"Let's talk about this later," I said. "Right now, I'm sure everyone has their own questions and concerns."
"Yeah," Cally said, having regained her composure. "A person with two bodies? How is this even possible? Not only that, but those two bodies exist in two different realms. It's unheard of!"
"Not quite," Kiki said. "I'm sure all of you have heard stories and legends about the gods walking the earth using avatars and incarnations."
Everyone nodded.
"It's the sa principle," Kiki continued. "Once a being reaches a high enough level of power, they can create an incarnation that acts independently of the main body. This requires splitting off a fragnt of their soul and creating a new body to house that fragnt." She gestured to . "In Lord Gabriel's case, it happened by accident."
Leroy frowned.
"Does this an you can freely travel between Lumina and Earth, my lord?" he asked.
I nodded.
"Yes, though I'm unsure of the dangers involved," I said. "Until I figure those out, I won't travel between realms any ti soon. The only reason I risked it this ti around was because I was desperate to co back ho."
"Even so," Cally said, a somber expression on her face. "You have a way to leave all this…" She made a broad, sweeping gesture. "…behind. That's invaluable. You can escape the end of the world."
Leroy nodded.
"She's right," he said. "Should the worst happen, at least one of us will survive."
I glared at the both of them.
"Enough," I said in a tone that brooked no argunt. "I will not abandon my ho rely to save my own skin. What kind of craven wretch do you think I am?"
"But-" Leroy started to say, but I cut him off.
"No. We either save the world together, or we et our end together. End of discussion."
Cally and Leroy looked troubled by this, Leroy in particular, but they both remained silent.
"Don't be too harsh on them, Lord Gabriel," Kiki said in a gentle voice. "The past few months have been hard on them. They almost lost you."
"Even I was in low spirits," Lord Dominic piped up.
I sighed.
"I know, and I'm sorry I put everyone through that. However, running off on my own isn't a solution. I would be the last survivor of a dead realm." I shook my head. "I'd rather stay and fight."
"Still, figuring out a way to travel to Earth isn't a bad idea," Anna said, speaking up for the first ti in a while. "If nothing else, we can evacuate so of our people, so a fragnt of Lumina survives. We didn't have that before."
A heavy silence fell over us.
"I was more concerned about bringing over allies from Earth," I said. "But you make a good point."
Anna snuggled deeper into my embrace and didn't respond.
"While interesting, these are all problems for the future," Cally said. "Let's focus on the present. What's our next move?"
"Well, there's sothing we need to deal with before we figure that out," I said.
Everyone, minus Anna, turned to look at .
"The church knows about the regression," I said.
Everyone stared at for several monts, before Cally stood up and faced .
"What?!"
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